Author: INDEPENDENT

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailA contractor with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has resigned in protest over the Biden administration’s support for the war in Gaza — and in an interview with The Independent said that political pressure from the White House was silencing dissent at the agency.Alex Smith, a senior adviser on gender, maternal health, child health, and nutrition, said he was given a choice of resigning or being fired after a presentation he was due to deliver on…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Marie-Antoinette Katoto left defending champions England with a mountain to climb as France came from behind to snatch a priceless Euro 2025 qualifier victory at St James’ Park.Beth Mead had given the Lionesses a 30th-minute lead in head coach Sarina Wiegman’s 50th game at the helm, but Elisa De Almeida levelled before the break to set the stage for Paris St Germain striker Katoto to secure a 2-1 win in front of a crowd of 42,561.The defeat…

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailMichelle and Barack Obama led a chorus of politicians and celebrities in paying tribute to her late mother, Marian Robinson.Ms Robinson, known as the “first grandma” or “grandma in residence” during former president Obama’s time in office, died on Friday at the age of 86, according to a statement from her family.“My mom Marian Robinson was my rock, always there for whatever I needed,” wrote Michelle Obama on Friday evening. “She was the same steady backstop for our…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Sarina Wiegman has challenged England to turn the tables on France to kick-start their Euro 2025 qualification campaign.The defending champions went down 2-1 to the French at St James’ Park on Friday evening and realistically need to avenge that defeat in St-Etienne on Tuesday to rekindle their faltering bid to make it to the finals automatically.Wiegman’s side have now taken just four points from their first three qualifiers and trail Group A3 leaders France by five points…

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailFormer First Lady Michelle Obama’s mother, Marian Robinson, has died, according to family members.She was 86 years old.“My mom Marian Robinson was my rock, always there for whatever I needed,” Obama wrote on X on Friday. “She was the same steady backstop for our entire family, and we are heartbroken to share she passed away today.”Robinson was born in 1937, one of seven children raised in a “tiny upstairs apartment” that was “on the red-lined South Side of…

(Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)England take on Group A3 leaders France at Newcastle United’s St James’ Park tonight, as Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses try to take charge of their Women’s Euros 2025 qualifying campaign.An opening 1-1 draw with Sweden was not in the script, but England bounced back with a 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland, and victory tonight would send them to the top of the group, above tonight’s opponents France, who recorded 1-0 wins over both the Irish and the Swedes, and would relish the chance to continue their 100 per cent record against the reigning European champions.Lauren James has…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsGossip is a “woman’s thing”, Pope Francis is alleged to have told a group of priests at a recent meeting in Rome.The remark was said to have been made by the pontiff at a closed-door meeting just days after he apologised for reportedly using a homophobic slur.The head of the Catholic Church, 87, is said to have advised the priests, ordained within the past 10 years, of “badmouthing” in parishes and congregations“Gossip is a women’s…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter As the two Champions League finalists set off for London, the contrasting moods among the squads said enough. For Real Madrid, it’s a sense of duty. There’s excitement about returning to this stage, sure, but also an awareness that this is simply what they do. They go to these games and win them. For Borussia Dortmund, there’s a sense of genuine wonder. Manager Edin Terzic has described it as “a dream”. This is just the third Champions…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsA knifeman attacked and stabbed several people during a political rally in the southwestern German city of Mannheim on Friday, police said.The crime spree unfolded shortly after 11.30am during an event being held by the Citizens’ Movement Pax Europa (BPE), which advocates against the ‘Islamisation’ of Europe.Police shot at the attacker, who was also injured during the incident which unfolded on the Marktplatz, a square in the downtown area. In a statement, police said that…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Florentino Perez couldn’t have it any other way. On Monday, after a Spanish court gave the latest ruling on the Super League case, those in the Real Madrid president’s circle were very quick to insist to everyone that the judgment actually represented a victory for the project. This was despite virtually every legal expert considering the outcome meaningless.Uefa currently sees no real threat from this iteration of the Super League. You just wouldn’t have guessed that from…